Paul Nabuurs

Acrylic Painting

Paul Nabuurs is a full-time professional artist based in Peterborough County, known for vibrant, high-chroma paintings that radiate energy and nostalgia. His work explores the dynamic interplay of light, colour, and pattern, drawing inspiration from rugged landscapes and rural scenes to offer a fresh, contemporary expression of Canadian identity that feels both immediate and timeless.

Raised in Newmarket, Ontario, Paul was encouraged in his creativity from an early age. Visits to the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, especially encounters with the work of the Group of Seven, along with mentorship from a high school art teacher, helped set him on an artistic path. He later studied at OCAD University in Toronto, where his artistic voice continued to develop.

Working initially in watercolour, trips north deepened his interest in capturing fleeting moments in the natural landscape. Practical considerations later led Paul toward a career in environmental science and years running a house painting business while raising a family in Peterborough with his wife, Mim. Throughout that time, he continued making art, eventually transitioning to acrylics and developing his signature bold colour palette.

As his work gained wider attention, Paul committed to art full-time, refining a personal style shaped by experimentation and expressive colour. Over the past decade, he has exhibited widely in festivals, group shows, and solo exhibitions.

A recent milestone, the purchase of a renovated church near Lakefield that now serves as his home, studio, and gallery, has further deepened his connection to the surrounding landscape. His artistic journey has also been enriched by the Untamed Things painting collective, including a 2021 Algoma expedition that brought his many of his artistic influences full circle.

Paul Nabuurs' engages with visitors in his studio during the Kawartha Autumn Studio Tour

Paul Nabuurs in his studio
Photo by Zach Ward, 2024

Paul Nabuurs
Amazing Light, 2026,
arylic on birch panel
18" x 24"

A vibrant abstract painting titled “Under Water Lily Bloom” by Paul Nabuurs features a central white and yellow flower surrounded by intertwining red, pink, and blue lines and shapes.

Paul Nabuurs
Under Water Lily Bloom, 2026
acrylic on canvas
40" x 60"

A colorful painting by Paul Nabuurs titled “Lookout Over Old Growth” depicts a vibrant forest scene with tall trees in the foreground and a blue river flowing through the landscape. Bright yellows, oranges, and greens highlight autumn foliage.

Paul Nabuurs
Lookout Over Old Growth, 2025
acrylic on canvas
36" x 48"

Photograph of Paul Nabuurs sitting on the ground outdoors surrounded by autumn foliage, engaged in painting with an easel and art supplies nearby.

Paul Nabuurs painting en plein air

A large brightly coloured landscape in the style of Paul Nabuurs sits on an easel in the artist's studio

Interior of Paul Nabuurs studio
Photo by Zach Ward, 2024

Paul Nabuurs stands in a hallway of his home studio surrounded by his brightly coloured paintings hanging on the walls around him

Paul Nabuurs in his studio
Photo by Zach Ward, 2024

Visitors talk with Paul Nabuurs in his studio during the 2024 Kawartha Autumn Studio Tour

Paul Nabuurs studio
Photo by Zach Ward, 2024

Paul Nabuurs in his studio
Photo by Zach Ward, 2024

Paul Nabuurs
Ann Shier
Ann Way-Nee
Annette Vlieg
Art Gallery of Peterborough
Beverly MacRae
Cathy Ogrodnik
Cathy Stalkie
Chantel Stovell
Christy Haldane
Community Artist Hub
Cydnee Hosker
David Hickey
Don Clark
Doug Andrews
Em Farquhar-Barrie
Faye Jacobs
Garrett Gilbart
Heather Doughty
Holly Edwards
Jeffrey Macklin
John Climenhage
Karyne McKnight
Kay Gregg
Kim Beavis Sanderson
Laura Madera
Leanne Baird
Lesley & Al Kroach
Lucie Lemieux-Wilson
Lucy Manley
Lynda Cunningham
Mark Hinan
Mary McLoughlin
Mary-Anne Johnston
Nan Sidler
Nick Leniuk
Patrick Fitzgerald
Paul Chester
Sandra Beange & Barbara Sorensen
Sheldon Storey
Stan Olthuis
Stephanie Ford Forrester
Sylvie Dumas
Thomas Aitken & Kate Hyde
Tina Fridgen
Tricia vanOostveen
Vince Way-Nee
Wendy Trusler

Paul Nabuurs
Acrylic Painting

1580 English Line N.
Douro-Dummer, ON

Paul Nabuurs

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